Band director returns to work amid battery investigation

Published: Monday, March 25, 2013 at 6:47 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 25, 2013 at 6:47 p.m.

SARASOTA - John Roseboom, the well-known Sarasota High band director who was removed from campus last month, returned to work Monday.

Roseboom, who had been on paid administrative leave since Feb. 28, will work in the district's human resources department while he waits for the State Attorney's Office to decide whether to file a misdemeanor battery charge.

Roseboom's Sarasota attorney, Peter Collins, said his client was innocent.

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - John Roseboom, the well-known Sarasota High band director who was removed from campus last month, returned to work Monday.</p><p>Roseboom, who had been on paid administrative leave since Feb. 28, will work in the district's human resources department while he waits for the State Attorney's Office to decide whether to file a misdemeanor battery charge.</p><p>Roseboom's Sarasota attorney, Peter Collins, said his client was innocent.</p><p>“He denies ever touching anybody without his or her consent,” Collins said. “We deny any crime occurred.”</p><p>Roseboom, who declined to comment Monday, was removed from campus and put on paid leave on Feb. 28. </p><p>The State Attorney's Office is early in its investigation and is still interviewing witnesses, said court chief Spencer Rasnake.</p><p>Rasnake declined to go into details on the investigation, but said the alleged victim is a woman who is not a current Sarasota High student.</p><p>In the HR department, Roseboom will help with parent mailings and other tasks not dealing with confidential information, said district spokesman Scott Ferguson.</p><p>Ferguson also said it is district policy to move an employee on paid leave back into administrative work after several weeks.</p><p>“We try to keep them busy,” he said.</p><p>Roseboom, 32, is paid $47,390 annually and has worked at Sarasota County Schools since Aug. 1, 2006.</p><p>The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office had investigated Roseboom and forwarded a report to the State Attorney's Office this month.</p><p>“Mr. Roseboom has been cooperating with the Sheriff's Office as they have gone through their investigative process,” Collins said.</p><p>Collins added the police reports have not been publicly released so he has not seen the allegations nor would he comment on them. </p><p>“We're not even thinking about a plea deal until we know what the allegations are,” he said.</p><p>Back at Sarasota High, the band is expected to have a substitute teacher with a background in music in place this week to direct the students.</p><p>“They're trying to get someone in there who really knows music,” Ferguson said.</p>